Emerging electrocatalysts for green ammonia production: Recent progress and future outlook

Abstract

In the Haber-Bosch process (HBp), which uses elevated pressure and temperature to produce more concentration of nitrogen and hydrogen gases, 90% of the 175 million metric tons of NH3 generated worldwide in 2016 were manufactured in this process. According to the road plan for sustainable ammonia production sustainably, using water as a reducing agent is the most effective way to fix nitrogen in close-quarters ambiance. A complete explanation of theoretical and practical work on electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction is provided in this article, with special attention paid to the low selectivity of nitrogen reduction to ammonia in comparison to protons to hydrogen. Since they are essential for accurately achieving high nitrogen production and Faradaic efficiency (FE), their information outlines electrocatalysts, electrolyte selection criteria, and managed experiment design. Under diverse conditions, the evolution of theory and experiment is examined. Finally, feedback is given on this field’s present issues and prospects.

Keywords

• Nitrogen reduction
• Electrochemical reaction
• Electrocatalyst
• Nitrogen production rate
• Faradaic efficiency